12 Sensational Standard Sized Bathrooms

Most of us don’t live in huge, lavish homes with bathrooms the size of our bedrooms.

A typical sized bathroom is 5×8 feet, but many are even smaller.

Some think, “what can I do with this small space?” or “how do I make a statement, yet still have the bathroom be functional”?

No matter the size or budget, a bathroom has an exorbitant amount of potential to create a dynamic, intriguing, and interesting environment. Even though a bathroom may be of a typical size (or smaller), you can still gather inspiration from larger bathroom spaces and introduce those same elements in a smaller scale and on a reasonable budget.

As I’ve just recently finished up my standard sized bathroom makeover, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some others creatively designed bathrooms that have added unique details and smart storage solutions.

Bathroom 1: Meredith and Stephen of Welcome to Heardmont made some incredible updates to their master bath, but kept many of the existing elements. They had waited three years to embark and complete this bathroom makeover, which turned out amazing. By keeping the floor in tact, as well as the sink cabinet, toilet, and shower, they were able to put their budget towards adding board and batten to the walls, as well as revamping the countertop with a new sealed butcher block and vessel sink. Complete with a new mirror, awesome accessories, interesting lighting, and a new DIY shower curtain, this space is a calming, yet refreshing makeover.

Bathroom 2: This newly renovated beadboard bathroom by Kim of Sand & Sisal shows how an ordinarly sized space can be truly sensational. By adding beadboard and gorgeous wall decor, this typical bathroom now has a sophisticated beach aesthetic. The tall beadboard heightens the feel of the bathroom and creates a ledge that allows for additional space to showcase accessories and enhance the beach setting. A beautiful and calming bathroom has absolutely been achieved.

Bathroom 3: Many bathrooms are much smaller than 5×8 feet, but using elements like this open sink cabinet can help enlarge the feeling of the overall space. This bathroom by YHL has been smartly designed to maximize the space available. Next to the tub is a small linen closet that the door was removed from and shelves were added for towel and accessory storage. By removing the door, the space feels larger, instead of a separate element.

Bathroom 4: Color. Color. Color. Bathrooms of any size are a great place to add color. Because bathrooms are usually their own space and don’t flow with the openness of the rest of the house, have fun with it by adding an unexpected burst of color. This bathroom (source unknown) has an eye popping burst of a pink/purple color (kind of like my old bathroom actually) amongst a crisp, white cabinet and tile.

Bathroom 5: Depending on the layout and aesthetic that you want to achieve, contrasting colors can be an interesting way to design a bathroom. This bathroom in the home of Emma Reddington has black on the walls with all white fixtures, and organic accents woodtones and plants throughout.

Bathroom 6: This recent half-bath makeover by Beth of Home Stories A to Z is a wonderful example of how to make a possible boring small space into a focal point of the home. By introducing soft colors and lots of texture, through the wallpaper, beadboard, baskets, and accessories, personality has been brought to this space. Storage in a small bathroom like this can often be a challenge, but Beth tackled that by adding wall-to-wall shelving over the toilet. If you desire more closed storage for a space of this size, opting for a cabinet with part open / part closed shelving could be the right solution.

Bathroom 7: As I did in my bathroom, the homeowner (bathroom featured on HGTV) chose to use two window panels instead of a typical shower curtain to conceal the tub / shower area. This is a very smart solution so the tub space can be seen from the remainder of the bathroom. With the unexpected addition of the sunburst mirror on the far wall, the room feels larger and the linear feel of the tile border continues around the room. (I have to mention though, that I think tile in a shower/tub area should go higher that shown here because in this setting the walls would probably get wet – the look is better than the actual function)

After Post Edit: Many readers wrote in about my comment on the low tile and mentioned that this bathroom setup is most likely a tub only and not a shower.

Bathroom 8: Wallpaper or a wall stencil can be another way to incorporate an interesting element into a typical bathroom setting. Interestingly in this bathroom, the wall seems to slant above the mirror, but because of the wall treatment, your eye is distracted away. The selections and soft tones of this bathroom designed by Graciela Rutowskiare calming and serene. Even though the cabinet width is only about 4′, the space envelops you and makes you just want to hang out all day. And the mirror – SO gorgeous!

Bathroom 9: There are so many elements in this bathroom that I truly love, but again the core of it is typical for many bathrooms in homes that we all live in. Featured in House Beautiful, this bathroom has ordinary white fixtures with the accents of the bold wallpaper, mirror, roman shade, and shower curtain to give it the WOW-factor.

Bathroom 10: Even though pedestal sinks don’t allow for storage, they can absolutely save on space, as seen in this bathroom by Myra of The Casabella Project. As a renter, there was only so much she could change, but by introducing this smaller sink, the overall feel of this bathroom is much large. For storage she added a yard-sale-found nightstand and “collected” accessories to create a personalized bathroom.

Bathroom 11: This fun and bright typical sized bathroom showcases high, white beadboard paneling, all white fixtures, and a burst of happy yellow / green paint above. The shower curtain is engaging and a focal point for the space amongst the crisp white hue. Complete with a natural and textural wood style floor mat, this bathroom featured on BHG is a breathe of fresh air.

Bathroom 12: This bathroom featured on Lonny is small, but that doesn’t mean it’s not sensational! The corner, curved sink is so darling and is creatively incorporated right into the beadboard paneling which envelopes the perimeter of this bathroom. A strong teal color is a sharp contrast to the white, and beautiful pictures are hung on the upper section of the wall. The overall space feels higher than typical because of the white crown moulding surround, as well as the roman shade which goes up to the ceiling.

My bathroom is slightly larger than typical, but that’s mostly because of it’s configuration. The layout though is ordinary with the vanity, toilet, and tub next to each other. None of the plumbing fixtures or sink vanity were changed, but the overall soft elements and accessories were updated, including the painting of the cabinet, the shower curtain, window valance, rug, mirror, and lighting.

5 tips for making an standard sized bathroom sensational:

Be inspired and incorporate elements from any sized space into your bathroom. Even though it may be smaller, use the general idea and simply scale it to your space.

Heighten the space by hanging the window valance at the ceiling plane and using a shower curtain / window panel that is taller than typical.

Add color. Be bold. Make a statement. Have fun.

Add texture and intrique through wall treatments like wallpaper, a wall stencil, or paneling, as well as baskets and accessories.

Work with what you have instead of starting from scratch. A bathroom can cost alot of money to makeover. Step back and consider what elements are a must to change and what elements can stay. If you saw my before bathroom, it looked like everything had to go, but it really wasn’t required. With new paint and accessories, a completely new space was created.

I just found your site today and I love the bathrooms you posted here. I am currently living in a rental and the guest bath/shower combo has a dropped ceiling above the tub. I want to hang the curtain all the way up, but I’m worried about it not allowing enough light into the tub area while the shower is being used. Any ideas?

Thanks Brandi! As long as you have about 8-10″ of open space, enough light should enter into the bath area. Try it out before buying or making anything by hanging a towel or sheet at the height you’d like. -Jenna

I stumbled onto your site from pinterest… so, hello! I have a tiny bathroom I’m getting ready to re-do, so thanks for the inspiration :0) Also, I think bathroom 7 may be just a tub and not a shower. That might be how they’re getting away with the open curtains, low tile level, sunburst mirror, towel rack etc. Maybe not, but that’s how it looks to me! Keep up the good work!

Welcome to SAS Interiors, Megan! Glad you were able to gather some inspiration for your bathroom makeover. A few other readers mentioned the same thing about the tub and no shower – I think you are right. -Jenna

I love bathroom # 7. I agree with the tile placement, but perhaps there is not a built in shower in this space. My old house featured one bathroom that had only a shower, while the other bathroom had only a bathtub. In this case, the low tiles are perfectly fine! Very pretty.

Unfortunately, I don’t think any of these bathrooms are truly 5×8. They all seem soooooooooo much bigger than mine. I have a sink/toilet and large shower (two people can fit in it), but I don’t have nearly the counter space or walking space that these seem to have. I’d love for my small bathroom to be even as big as the smallest one pictured above.

Well you’re right Brenda, there is no exact way to know if they are 5’x 8′, but many of the showcased bathrooms are actually smaller than that size and each of them have a similar layout to my bathroom, which is around 5′ x 8′. Either way, you can absolutely take inspiration from the images and implements similar ideas in ANY size bathroom! -Jenna

Jenna~
I have a long bathroom with no window! It is located off the bedroom and as you walk in I have a his and her closet on opposite sides. On the same side as the his closet is the single sink in a cabinet and the toliet. On the same side as the hers closet is the tub shower. Do you have any idea with a space that has no window to make it look larger.. I could send a picture if that is possible. Any help it appreciated….

Maybe add a collection of mirrors at the end of the bathroom to give the illusion of a larger space. I’ll ask my Facebook community and see what they think. Look for the question on http://www.facebook.com/sasinteriors.

We recently made over our standard sized guest bath but gutting the entire thing. It was originally built in 1976 and had neer been updated. It was also falling apart. We installed all new everything and think it is pretty unique for that size. On the wall is an Octopus stencil with hooks to hang our children’s towels on. It cost us about $5,000 in materials compared to the $8,000-10,000 quotes we got. http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/bathroom-remodel-status-complete-from-70s-to-sleek/

Nice bathroom pics! I specially love the last one with blue and white curtains, it is awesome! :) I am plannig to renovate my bathroom and I want some decoration ideas. I already have the bath, sinks and toilet from Roca, but I need all the other stuff!
Siti